We Are Leaving In 5 Hours!

Dear Friends and Family,

The day has finally come!

It's finally here. After 5 months of prayerful preparations our departure for Cambodia is today. We leave America with expectant hearts of all that's to come and what God has in store for us.

Saying goodbyes to friends and family has been a whirlwind in both Washington and California, if we missed you we are deeply sorry. We tried to fit in as much as we could.

We will be boarding our flight with Singapore Air to Cambodia at 2:20pm(PST) Today. We will have two stops on our way to Siem Reap, Cambodia, our stops will be in Seoul, South Korea and Singapore! We will arrive in Cambodia at 9:50am on Thursday(9/12/2013)or(6:50pm 9/11/13 PST). Pray for us as this is going to be about 29 hours of travel! 

God is good. God is Faithful.

And so now our journey begins! And fully funded! We are extremely excited to say that the original goal of $10,000 was fully met throughout this Summer by the generosity of all those God has called. Thank you all so incredibly much for being apart of this journey.

If you are interested in giving while we are away, click here.

We are so thankful for all those that continually support us on this journey, it hasn't ended... It's just beginning!

Next time you hear from us... We'll be in Cambodia! It might take us a few days to settle in but once settled we should have Internet connection.

Want to know more about what we are doing? Check out YWAM Battambang, Cambodia's Website and the School of Biblical Studies page, as well.

When God Says GO...to Cambodia

Hello friends and family,

The title of this newsletter is When God says Go. This has been heavy in our hearts lately, as we are in the swirl of transition in answering God's call on our lives for the next step, Cambodia.

We must say thank you first and foremost to God the provider of ALL things , and then to all of you who make what we do possible by your generosity and obedience to God. We officially have purchased our plane tickets, with just $35 to spare! It is now official, we both have 2 one way tickets to Cambodia. We will be leaving September 10th out of San Francisco, after visiting with Roberta's family!

Right now, our main focus is preparing for Cambodia, and the largest part of that is our finances. We currently need about $7,000 more to reach our original goal of $10,000. We had some unexpected expenses come up in regards to our international health/travel insurance, but we trust that God will provide this money by September 1st, and are looking for all the help that we can get. We are so thankful for your gracious gift that make answering this call to Cambodia possible!

Here is a breakdown of what we still need:

• International Health/Travel Insurance : $600
• John: $300
• Roberta: $300
• School Fees : $6,400
• John: $3,200
• Roberta: $3,200
• Total : $7,000

It is challenging for us because these fees are NOT included with our monthly expenses that come from living in Cambodia. Would you please begin to prayerfully consider if/how/when you could give to our need. We are looking for monthly and one time gifts. Click here to find out how!

We are in Lynden and very willing to meet with supporters if we haven’t already yet! Also, we are doing everything we can in regards to making extra money.  

Some of those things include, on a donation basis :

• Photography Sessions
• Babysitting
• Cleaning
• Lawncare

If you are interested in any of these services, please let us know! 

ALL donation basis for money directly to our GO to CAMBODIA fund!

Reminder: All checks are TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Click here to find out how!

We are so thankful for all of you that support us, prayerfully and financially. Please continue to pray with us as we take a leap of faith for what we believe is Gods call on us in this time.

Your friends,

John & Roberta

The Next Step

Roberta and me at Birch Bay! 

 Thank YOU
First and foremost we just want to send a thank you! We officially made our first deadline of $1,000 by Friday, June 7th. This secured our spots for the school in Cambodia and brings us one step closer to this September's big move overseas!

What are we up to?
Currently, we are working to live and saving as much as we can! John is currently employed at Whatcom Lawns and Roberta is nannying for a sweet little boy named Dillon. We are excited about what God has provided for us for this Summer and it helps us save as much as possible for Cambodia. God continues to amaze us with all of provision even in the smallest details of it all.

The Next Step
The next thing we need to do is purchase our plane tickets! At this point, we need at least $1,500 towards our ticket and our goal is to purchase them by the end of June! Currently in this goal, we have about $420! So we are praying that $1,080 would come in by the end of this month! Would you partner with us in prayer as we trust God for the next thing?!

How Can You Help?

There are a couple ways you can help!

• Financially Giving -- click here for how to
• Get your picture taken by me and then donate! It is a great way for you to have awesome Christmas Card pictures or for Grandma. To do this email me at johnperryolin@gmail.com. 
• Tell your friends about what we are doing.

Camping with the our family for father's day!

Doing a photo shoot with my brother and his wife in an amazing flowery field.

Answered Prayer

Answered Prayer
This is a quick update to let you know that God is bringing in the funds!  In the last update we sent, we only had $660.  In the last week we have received more! We are now at $840! We need $1,000 by Friday to begin to pay for the upcoming school. We only have $9,160 more to go! You all have been an answer to prayer in your being obedient to God in your giving.  Thank you for all of your support, prayers, and encouragement! We have such amazing family and friends!

How You Can Give
Check and Receive Tax Deduction
Make the check out to: Faith Reformed Church
Send the Check to:
Faith Reformed Church
300 7th St.
Lynden, WA 98247
(Please include a note or our name on the memo line)

Credit Card via Paypal

Click here to find out more on this.

MORE Important Information and Exciting Prayer Updates!

Where Do I Send the Checks?
We have changed our financial covering and where to receive a tax deductible receipt. Faith Reformed Church has so graciously taken on the task of handling our tax deductible donations. Roberta and I want to continue to do this for you our partners to say a little bit of a thank YOU. You, our partners, are amazing and we are so blessed to have you on this journey of seeing God expand His Kingdom through out the world and at home.

Make the check out to: Faith Reformed Church (Do NOT put our name on the check)
Send the check AND a NOTE telling the church it is for Roberta and I to:
Faith Reformed Church
300 7th St.
Lynden, WA 98264

Credit card options and more info on Partnering with Roberta and I here.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Prayer Updates

For those of you who do not know yet.  Roberta and I have moved back to the West Coast!  We will be spending the next couple months in Washington.  While here in Washington, we will be raising our support and working to raise funds for a School of Biblical Studies in Battambang, Cambodia! That is right! We are going to be in Cambodia for 9 to 12 months, studying the Bible in depth and sharing the love of Jesus with the people there at the same time.

Answered Prayers:

• we have a car! 1985 Honda Accord!
• we have an apartment!
• we have some basic furniture! (still looking for some basics)
• both Roberta and I have needed some good rest and God has been blessing us with good rest these last couple weeks.
• I have been having a great time reconnecting with friends and family

Prayer Requests

• solidify a job for John
• part time job for Roberta
• raise our monthly support to $1,200/month
• raise about $10,000 for our SBS and our trip to Cambodia
• $1,500 per person for round-trip airfare
• $3,600 per person for school fees (covers room and board)
• meetings with supporters, friends, and family

Funeral

As many of you may know, my grandma Olin passed away a week and a half ago.  The funeral and memorial was yesterday (wednesday).  I was able to give the message for the day at the memorial. As hard as it was, I still really enjoyed it and was encouraged by my family and friends. Thank YOU to all of you for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for my family as they continue to work through this.

We Want to Meet With YOU

Roberta and I want to see and hangout with as many people as possible this summer! So please contact me what ever way you know how.  We are looking forward to seeing most of you.


Thank YOU
Thank YOU for partnering with us prayerfully and financially! You are not just supporting us, you are participating in what God is doing through us. We are very excited to see how God uses us in the months to come. Please stay tuned to our updates as they will continue to come during the through the summer.

Love, 

John and Roberta

What are John and Roberta Up To? On the West Coast

Roberta and I at a SF Giants game.

Back On The West Coast

Roberta and I are back on the west coast! Currently, we are in California visiting her family before moving, for the summer, to the Bellingham, WA area. Since our last newsletter/update, God has provided a car, a job, and possible places to live. We are very excited to get our lives settled in that area for a couple months until we travel to Cambodia. This summer we are planning to meet with our current supporters, raise new financial support, and spend quality time with our family. This summer is going to be a summer of rest and preparing for our time in Cambodia.

If you did not know already, we are going to be moving to Cambodia for a minimum of 9 months to study the Bible through a Bible course in Youth with A Mission there, as well as working with ministries in the area teaching english and the Bible. The course is called the School of Biblical Studies, you can find out more info here: www.uofnbattambang.com. The course is a 9 month course where Roberta and I will study the Bible in depth through the inductive Bible study method. By the end of the school we will have highlighted the Bible entirely and read through it at least 5 times. The ultimate goal of taking this course is for Roberta and I to have a solid Biblical foundation for our ministry, life, and jobs in the future.  We both feel that the American culture is in search of truth and we feel that the best way to show that truth is by knowing it in depth. We want to see the lives of anyone we are in contact with transformed by the Spirit of God through a Biblical foundation in our lives.

We want to meet with YOU.  If you live in the Northwest Washington area please send us an email. We want to see you and hang out with you whether you support us or not. You can email us at: johnroberta.olin@gmail.com.


Prayer Requests and Needs:
How you can pray.

• solidify a job for John
• a part time job for Roberta
• finalize our living space
• praise God for a car!!
• Rest.
• quality time with family and friends
• raise our monthly support to $1,200/month
• raise approximately $10,000 for School of Biblical Studies
• Flights: $1,500 roundtrip per person
• School fees: $3.600 per person (entire course cost)

Thank YOU

Thank YOU for partnering with us prayerfully and financially! You are not just supporting us, you are participating in what God is doing through us. We are very excited to see how God uses us in the months to come.  Please stay tuned to our updates as they will continue to come during the through the summer.

Love,

John and Roberta